How To Make TBE Buffer

About TBE buffer

TBE buffer, named so because of the three ingredients of Tris base, Boric acid and EDTA, is a solution commonly used as an electrophoresis running buffer and for making agarose gels. The tris solution keeps the DNA soluble in water while EDTA, a chelator of cations such as magnesium, protects nucleic acids against enzymatic degradation.

Recipe

How to make 10x TBE buffer

1. Add all of the chemicals above to a 1 L Duran bottle.
2. Add ~ 800 mL MilliQ water.
3. Dissolve the chemicals by adding a magnetic flea into the bottle and placing on a magnetic stirrer. It may take some time to fully dissolve.
4. Once dissolved, top up the solution to 1 L with MilliQ water.

The 10x TBE buffer is used for storage purposes only. Do not use 10x TBE buffer directly, instead dilute to 1x TBE buffer before use.

How to make 1x TBE buffer

1. Add 100 mL 10x TBE stock solution to a 1 L Duran bottle.
2. Add 900 mL MilliQ water.
3. Mix the solution by shaking.

Storage of TBE buffer

Store TBE buffer at room temperature (+15^oC – +25^oC). Over time, white precipitates may form. If so, make up a fresh solution.

Safety

Always be sure to read the TBE buffer safety data sheet before use.